Guy Gear: Bachelor Furniture

The once immortal bachelor pad, that rare and refined emblem of man’s independence, is about to be forever lost to the ages. How have we let this happen? We agree that a splash of cologne, an impeccable suit and a few witty remarks will get a single guy miles ahead of the competition, but all’s for naught if the place he calls home is yet another hole in the wall and devoid of any bachelor furniture. Chances are the only action his place will ever see is a weekly visit from the cleaning lady. Make no mistake about it, today’s bachelor needs his place to be swank, civil, seductive, and, most of all, expecting company. Check out our list of bachelor furniture to make your guests feel a bit more welcome in your manly habitat.

Bachelor Furniture

Clairtone Project G stereo

While most of us would kill for a 60-inch plasma TV to include in our arsenal of bachelor furniture, seasoned swingers have known for decades that it takes music to set the right mood. Designed in 1963 by Clairtone, the Project G stereo was successfully marketed as the definitive bachelor’s centerpiece and attracted many big-name customers, including such iconic swing-kings as Frank Sinatra and Hugh Hefner. With space-age spherical speakers mounted at the edges of a lush rosewood cabinet, it produces a sound as rich and clean as its design; it was so crisp, in fact, that Oscar Peterson described its sound as rivaling his live performances. With a handful of handsome successors of the original, the Project G series has earned much attention from collectors over the years, culminating in the publication of a book tracing its history. The G2 even has appeared onscreen in The Graduate next to Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. One look at the Project G and you’ll surely suspect that it is trying to seduce you. This piece of bachelor furniture retails for: Approximately $1,500 Photo credit: Cote/Flickr.com

Herman Miller Goetz Sofa

Bachelors in the market for a sofa have many options, but should resist the temptation to buy anything overstuffed or plain looking; they’re just not bachelor furniture. Slouchy leather couches and micro-fiber monsters may look comfortable, but will prove otherwise for two people trying to unbutton and unwind. The Goetz Sofa by Herman Miller is an eight-foot ergonomic wonder that won’t sit like a leather elephant in your living room. Readers might recall our fondness for rosewood paired with leather in the Eames Lounge and Ottoman featured in our article on man chairs, and the Goetz Sofa is a bent rosewood ladle of soft padded leather so long that you can completely recline yourself. It’s an impressive sofa to have sitting around your apartment, and will look even better next to your Clairtone stereo. This piece of bachelor furniture retails for: Approximately $4,500

Knoll Eero Saarinen Womb Chair

Every so often a movie, a TV show or a song comes along and reawakens the Rat Packer in all of us. AMC’s Mad Men has re-inspired our urge to misbehave, have a good time and to do it all in terrific style from start to finish. So long as the job gets done, who says life can’t be one big bachelor party? Even through the haze of cigarette smoke and mid-afternoon cocktails, fans of the show will surely recognize this piece of bachelor furniture — the Saarinen Womb Chair. Designed by Finnish designer Eero Saarinen in 1948, the Womb Chair is but one of many mid-century modern characters to appear in the stylish offices and homes of Mad Men. More costly vintage editions can be found without much effort, but the Womb is still manufactured to this day by Knoll International in a wide range of colors and fabrics. This piece of bachelor furniture retails for: Approximately $2,300

Willy Rizzo table

What’s your sign? The disco age should not be overlooked in our review of bachelor furniture. After all, long nights at the discotheque usually led to inviting a choice groovy few back home to shake it up a little more. With such liberated attitudes of the ‘70s came a more cosmic approach to design. More hedonistic than its predecessors, this slick, two-tiered Willy Rizzo table features a posh black stone top with steel trim, a built-in self-chilling champagne bucket, and conceals a fully refrigerated bar. Leave it to the Italians to do it better. Any and every Willy Rizzo table will be a hard find, but if you can get your hands on one, don’t let go until the music stops. This piece of bachelor furniture retails for: Approximately $2,000

Histoire Do Be Round Bed

Gather round as our tour of the completely furnished bachelor pad comes to an end. Your lovely guest is impressed and has happily accompanied you to the boudoir, but how to achieve that one final wow? Sure to raise her eyebrows, this no-nonsense mechanized circular bed by Histoire Do Be is a piece de resistance that definitely sends the message home. Fitted with custom round linens and pillows, with speed and swivel functions operated by remote control, this bed will either be a smashing success as your very own Fantasy Island or invite embarrassing comparisons to Austin Powers. Regardless, you are a bachelor, aren’t you? Why should you let anything stop you from having a little fun? This piece of bachelor furniture retails for: Starting at approximately $13,000